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Coyotes-Wolves-Cougars.blogspot.com

Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars/ mountain lions,bobcats, wolverines, lynx, foxes, fishers and martens are the suite of carnivores that originally inhabited North America after the Pleistocene extinctions.
This site invites research, commentary, point/counterpoint on that suite of native animals (predator and prey) that inhabited The Americas circa 1500-at the initial point of European exploration and subsequent colonization.
Landscape ecology, journal accounts of explorers and frontiersmen, genetic evaluations of museum animals, peer reviewed 20th and 21st century research on various aspects of our "Wild America" as well as subjective commentary from expert and layman alike. All of the above being revealed and discussed with the underlying goal of one day seeing our Continent rewilded.....Where big enough swaths of open space exist with connective corridors to other large forest, meadow, mountain, valley, prairie, desert and chaparral wildlands.....Thereby enabling all of our historic fauna, including man, to live in a sustainable and healthy environment. - Blogger Rick

HUNTERS ENJOY A PLENTIFUL 2012

DEER HUNT IN NEW YORK STATE

Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York officials say
hunters killed about 243,000 deer during
the 2012-13 hunting seasons, roughly
6 percent more than a year earlier.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens says the state
has been taking steps to encourage hunting
as the deer population continues to grow.
--(BRING BACK WOLVES AND PUMAS,,,,,,NEVER GOING TO BE ENOUGH HUMAN HUNTERS TO STEM THE SWELLING DEER POPULATION--BLOGGER RICK)

The breakdown
of the past
season's take
was 124,000
adult females and fawns and 119,000 adult
bucks.

In the Northern Zone, and estimated 19,400
bucks and 11,400 antlerless deer were taken, compared to 15,900 and 10,900 respectively
a year earlier. There were 98,570 bucks and 110,900 antlerless deer taken in the Southern
Zone, excluding Long Island.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Management Plan for White-tailed Deer in New York State2012-2016-Dept. of Envriornmental Conservation

History/BackgroundWhen European settlers arrived in New York, white-tailed deer were apparently present throughout the state but densities variedgreatly by region. Relatively high densities of deer lived in open areas maintained by Native Americans primarily through periodic burning. However, the majority of New York was covered in mature forest, suitable only for relatively low densities of deer. Nonetheless, the 9-12 deer per square mile supported Puma, Wolf, Black Bear, Bobcat and lynx. In addition, throughout the state, deer were an important source of meat, bone and hide for both Native Americans and settlers.Historically in NY, Wolves feasted on DeerAs forests were cleared for agriculture, habitat conditions improved for deer, and their populations initially increased. Though periodic laws were enacted to afford some protection to deer (the earliest occurring in 1705), by the mid-1800s, excessive deer harvest by settlers and extensive habitat loss to agriculture caused deer populations to decline dramatically. By the 1880s, less than 25% of New York State was forested, and deer were absent in most of New York except the central Adirondack Mountains (Severinghaus and Brown 1956).Following extirpation of deer from most of the state, the Legislature formed the New York State Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission in 1895, and deer populations received better protection, predominantly by closed seasons and very limited antlerless harvest.

Pumas are excellent deer hunters
Deer recolonized New York via migration from remnant populations in the Adirondacks,Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and a small herd relocated from the Adirondacks to the southern Catskills

The deer population increased in distribution and density through the 20th Century, re-inhabiting all areas of the state and reaching a population peak, estimated at over 1 million deer, between 2000 and 2002.

As deer populations grew in number and distribution, hunting seasons resumed incrementally until nearly all of the state was open to deer hunting. Abandonment of farms on marginal lands led to more early successional and young forest cover and better deer habitat throughout the state. By the 1940s, locally abundant deer populations resulted in increased levels of agricultural damage and overbrowsing of winter range in some locations.

Two Massachusetts Eastern Coyotes at their den site

Eastern Wolf in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Aldo Leopold--3 quotes from his SAN COUNTY ALMANAC

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

Aldo Leopold

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

Aldo Leopold

''To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."

Wildlife Rendezvous

Like so many conscientious hunters and anglers come to realize, good habitat with our full suite of predators and prey make for healthy and productive living............Teddy Roosevelt depicted at a "WILDLIFE RENDEZVOUS"

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Blog Disclaimer

This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer. In addition, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time…I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. This blog is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of my various thoughts and opinions, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those I may hold today. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Rick Meril and WWW.COYOTES-WOLVES-COUGARS.COM make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.